Posted on 10/07/2008 11:19:18 AM PDT by Signalman
Small Business Owners Choose McCain, Even Though 53% Say the Current Administration Has Not Represented Local Business Owners Well
LOS ALTOS, Calif., Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- MerchantCircle, the largest social network of local business owners in the nation, today releases results from an Ohio survey of members. Of 338 small business owners surveyed, 54% planned to vote for Senator John McCain to 32% that planned to vote for Senator Barack Obama. Over 51% of Ohio business owners reported a decline in sales and revenue during the past year. The survey was conducted nationally from September 25 to October 6 and received 4,300 responses in all 50 states. MerchantCircle has 625,000 members across the nation.
"The McCain campaign appears to have separated itself from the Bush administration in the eyes of local businesses. Despite the fact that 53% of those surveyed in Ohio said the Bush administration has not represented the interests of local business owners well, that does not seem to affect their choice for the next President of the United States," says MerchantCircle Founder, Ben T. Smith, IV. "There's still a tremendous opportunity for the candidates to speak to Main Street America - as is evidenced by the fact that nearly 14% of those surveyed weren't sure which candidate would most help small businesses grow."
Key findings from the national survey:
-- Of those (1602 surveyed) who rated that the current administration has represented the interests of local business as "not well at all", 75.3% indicate they will vote for Obama, 8.7% McCain, 11% don't know; and 4.9% other.
-- Supporters of both tickets believe that the candidate's economic policy is the most important issue; Obama supporters are least concerned with lowering taxes; McCain supporters least concerned with health care policies
-- 55% have seen a "Severe" or "Moderate" decline in sales and revenue over the past year (Ohio is just below the national average at 51%); 49.4% of McCain supporters versus 40% for Obama supporters.
-- McCain had the largest margin of support from businesses with 21+ employees - 64.7% to Obama's 27.8%. Businesses that identified themselves as having one employee had the closest margin of difference - 47.9% indicated they would vote for McCain to 42% who would vote for Obama.
Over 96% of those surveyed nationally said they plan on voting this November. When asked in Ohio whether race or age would play a part in the election, 18% said that race would strongly affect the outcome of the election, while 10% believed that age would strongly be a factor in the decision.
Advance portions of the survey were released last week, with 80% of small business owners believing the $700 billion dollar bailout would not help them or were not sure. Complete statistics can be found at http://www.merchantcircle.com/corporate/blog/.
For individual state results on responses, email at Kevin@MerchantCircle.com.
About the Survey
The survey was conducted through a random sampling of MerchantCircle members, and in all, totaled 4,379 responses. An email notice was sent to participating merchants and the survey was answered through an internet questionnaire. 31.5% of the sampling had one employee, 47.9% had 2 to 5 employees, 11.2% had 6 to 10 employees, 5.1% had 11 to 20 employees, and 4.3% 21+ employees.
How any small business owner could vote for Obama is beyond me.
ha ha ha
but Obama is ahead nationally by 9 points!
what a total joke that is.
Yeah, but then you got the homeless crowd.
Amazing how a small business owner of ANY small business could drink enough kool-aid to support a guy who wants to run them OUT of business. The stupidity in this country is mind boggling.
Only today have I seen McCain-Palin signs cropping up around town.
Exactly!!! It is shocking that 46% would vote for Hussein!!
Since small business would be hit the hardest by Hussein, this is NOT good. In fact, that is scary--very scary.
The makers vs the takers.
The other 46% are “failing businesses” looking for a government handout.
The guberment been berry, berry good 2 me.....
October 1979 - Carter leads Reagan 48% to 42%, but the President trails Kennedy by 2-to-1 for nomination among Democrats. Trend - The Iranian hostage crisis subsequently boosts Carter's ratings long enough for him to dispatch Kennedy in the early primaries.
Source: Pew Research Center
The other 46% don’t expect to stay in business long maybe, since their taxes, like those of corporations, will be sky high in the 0bama administration.
The leaners vs. The lifters
Liberal policies that brought on this economic mess have been hurting my business for the past two years.
My business which matches 100% of employee 401K contributions; provides 100% health coverage for employees AND their families; provides dental coverage and life insurance AND pays a ton of taxes.
This is scary if true. The numbers for ANY republican for small business owners should be overwhelmingly conservative.
Just my 2cents.
Agreed, but I can see how some can be fooled. Business people need to know what’s going on out there, and why.
Oh, well, that just means lees competition for me when these idiots go OUT of business.
It galls me when the Dems trot out Warren Buffett, the richest man in the world, to tell us “the rich” need to pay more taxes.
My reply - FINE. Pass a law forcing Mr. Buffett to pay $10 Billion more
BUT - what about guys like me? I have 4 employees in a small business. We already write checks to our State and Federal Gov’t for >$60k per year. That’s easily a salary for another hire. I am certain that when Obama is in control, he is NOT going to lower that tax.
My comment to the DEMS - stop giving us stupid examples like Warren Buffett and get real.
They won’t be in business for long. If Obama gets in, the same mess you see with Fannie/Freddie will start to apply to them: “Give your goods away to the “needy” regardless of ability to pay.” After all, everybody has a right to credit[sarc].
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